Safe Driving
Tips for Seniors
You put your foot
on the pedal and go.
It seems easy, but for many older
adults, how you drive changes
over time.
Declining or dimming vision,
decreased strength and stiff joints,
slowed reaction times, and other
realities of aging can all take their
toll on driving ability.
Here’s something
that can help—
Occupational therapy!
Occupational therapy helps keep older individuals
safely on the road for as long as possible.
O
ccupational therapists can help older
drivers overcome or compensate for
some of the physical and cognitive
changes that may affect their safety behind the
wheel. Occupational therapists assess vision,
perception, cognition, and motor performance
as they relate to driving. If necessary, they can
refer older drivers to a specialist for follow-up
services.
Occupational therapists with specialized
education in driver rehabilitation can give
comprehensive driving evaluations and develop
individualized programs to improve driver
safety through retraining, exercises,
compensation strategies, and adaptive
equipment. For individuals who are no longer
driving, occupational therapists can help
identify alternative transportation and provide
training in its use to support continued
mobility throughout the community.
Here are some steps all drivers can take
today to be safer on the road:
1. Adjust the driver’s seat so that your chest is
10 inches or more from the steering wheel.
2. Adjust your sitting posture by moving the
steering wheel, adjusting your seat, or
sitting on a cushion to get your eyes at least
3 inches higher than the top of the steering
wheel.
3. Always adjust your side-view mirrors to
minimize the “blind spot” in the rear of
the vehicle.
4. If left turns are a problem, try planning a
route with more right turns, and minimize
or eliminate left turns.
5. If busy road traffic presents a problem, try
planning an outing during quieter times, like
the middle of the day on a weekday.
This pamphlet was developed by the American
Occupational Therapy Association, representing
nearly 40,000 occupational therapists,
occupational therapy assistants, and students.
Occupational therapy is the health profession
that specializes in helping people maximize their
independence and participate in activities that
give their lives meaning. Occupational therapists
work in schools, universities, hospitals, clinics,
and other places in every community across
America.
For more information on occupational therapy
and older drivers, visit our Web site at
www.aota.org/olderdriver.
© 2004 American Occupational Therapy Association.
All rights reserved.
Provided by:
The American
Occupational Therapy Association
4720 Montgomery Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814-3425
301-652-AOTA (2682)
www.aota.org
Occupational Therapy: Skills for the Job of Living